Ossetian lessons for Georgia

2010-08-10 14:37

Two years seems to be enough to understand who started shelling Tskhinval, preparing the army for forced enslavement of national minorities and using military rhetoric. Nonetheless, most Georgian mass media maintain the official version of the events that president Mikheil Saakashvili fell victim to the provocation and the outcome of the war was "the victory of freedom and independence for Georgia". Hasn't the 08/08/08 tragedy been a good lesson to Georgians? GeorgiaTimes and politologist Arno Khidirbegishvili discussed the lessons that the authorities, the opposition and people learned from the newest history.

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- Arno, these days it's been two years since the horrible tragedy no matter how it would be defined: a war, an armed conflict, a force operation aimed at establishment of law and order or a peace enforcement operation: brother shot at brother, relative at relative, neighbor at neighbor... As a result Georgia lost 20% of its territory - Abkhazia and South Ossetia were recognized as independent republics. Can you say today that Georgia has changed over these two years and now all this would have been avoided?

- Speaking about our decision-makers - about the highest ranks and its rather scarce electorate: no, they have learned nothing. This has taught them nothing. They still regret having lost and not having killed everyone in Tskhinvali district forgetting that if Russia had not prevented them from completing the act, they would have immediately been condemned for the genocide of the Ossetian people by the whole world. Please note that even the Georgian opposition - albeit hard on Saakashvili - criticizes him for not having won the war, not for having launched the dreadful adventure!

Now they are mocking at Nicaragua and Nauru that followed the Russian Federation in Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence recognition. They call the republics para-states and Bagapsh and Kokoyty - de-facto presidents and leaders of secessionists forgetting that they have been elected by people! There is just another proof that our leaders are mentally inadequate: allegedly they want to start a direct dialogue with Abkhazians and Ossetians, make it up with them not giving a damn about their choice, full of disdain.

And what do our authorities do every day? They express willingness to start a dialogue with Russia sneering at Russian leaders and the Russian nation trying to present them as savages and a laughing stock in front of the whole world. All this despite US and Europe's persistent recommendations that Georgia should find a common language with Russia! All in vain: for our authorities Pushkin or Putin make no difference.